Tchiowa

The government is now starting to say that the bombs were related to the "problem in the South".

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/poli...e-points-south

Previous caveats about investigations still apply.

transpac

From the BP article, interesting that Junta Supremo Prayut has dropped everything and rushed to Malaysia...

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said authorities are still investigating the attacks and the government is not accusing any individual or groups of being behind the violence. He urged the public to help authorities by keeping vigilant while calling on the media to be careful with their coverage. Gen Prayut said this was a sensitive matter and the wrong kind of coverage could intensify hatred and conflicts.

Gen Prayut who is scheduled to leave today for a one-day visit to Malaysia, is expected to raise the attacks in Thailand at his meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/poli...e-points-south

dsquared37

IOW, don't print anything contrary to what we say.

tide

These diplomatic visits get scheduled months in advance (security, protocol, counterpart's calendars etc). He is in KL for a conference("International Conference on Blue Ocean Strategy"). Let not your contempt of the junta cloud your excellent posts.

transpac

Yes, but the PM may not have been scheduled to attend, I don't know.

Often a subordinate, like one of the multitude of Deputy PMs would have gone.

For example,

Other leaders who are scheduled to arrive today are the King of Swaziland King Mswati III and his consort, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Visanu Krue-Ngam, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Maldives Deputy President Abdulla Jihad.


The indications in the Thai press are that Junta Supremo Prayut was making the trip which he previously was not scheduled to make. Again, it was portrayed as him responding to the current crisis, and no mention was made of the "Blue Ocean" conference. One assumes, which is all we can do living in the fog, that he wishes to elicit some cooperation investigating and/or dealing with a potential increase in the Muslim insurgency?

And who wouldn't have contempt for a Military Dictatorship?

tide

Yes PM scheduled to deliver opening speech at conference. The reportage of the Bangkok Post is, as is usually, terrible.

Leaders of a country do not fly to another country at last moment barring a funeral or some joint existential crisis (of which, the current bomb situation is certainly not). In case cooperation is needed, even a phone call from PM Prayut to PM Najib requires a big event and risks depleting the balance of diplomatic capital.

transpac

Yes, the PM was touting Thailand 4.0, presumably a maintenance update, at the Blue Ocean event in Malaysia, during the Leader's Discussion. I do not believe he was at all involved in the "opening speech", but maybe you meant the PM of Malaysia?


OFFICIAL OPENING AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS
“Transforming Nations through Creativity & Innovation”

The Hon. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia


It does look like he was scheduled to attend this event well in advance of the referendum, and bombings.

Prayut touts ‘value-added’ economic model

Thailand is gearing itself towards the Blue Ocean Strategy for Asean countries by moving up to the “Thailand 4.0” value-added economic model, the government says.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday that Thailand would upgrade to a value-based economy through its 20-year strategic plan (2017-36) and 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2017-21).

He was speaking during the leaders' discussion on "Transforming Nations through Creativity and Innovation" at the International Conference on Blue Ocean Strategy in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/busi...-30293094.html

transpac

Tourism Pokemon No

It is no surprise that Thai tourism officials moved quickly to try to contain the negative impact of the multiple attacks in seven provinces last week. Since the bomb attacks occurred at the start of the long holiday weekend, tourists -- local and international -- were well on their way to their holiday destinations. The initial impact could be described as minimal.

The big question mark is what the impact on hotel and travel bookings in the months ahead after the extent of the attacks sinks in will be. Compared to many countries across the globe, bomb attacks, especially those targeting foreigners and tourists, are infrequent. The most recent and serious attack in which many tourists were killed was the one on the Erawan shrine last year.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/o...ism-pokemon-no


Ministry enlists 'Pokemon Go' to restore confidence

The Tourism and Sports Ministry will use Pokemon Go to promote tourism and restore tourists' confidence following the string of bomb and arson attacks in seven southern provinces last Friday.

Despite the attacks, the ministry said Thais still made 1.96 million domestic trips during the long Aug 12-14 weekend, up by 7.8% from the same period last year, and generated 8.4 billion baht, up by 10.5% year-on-year.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/spec...ore-confidence


Never Mind the Bombings, Says the Thai Junta, Come and Catch Pokémon

The junta is desperate to boost tourism numbers after deadly bombings targeted areas popular with holidaymakers

Despite last week’s wave of deadly bomb attacks that targeted tourist areas, the Thai junta is desperate to present the country as a safe vacation destination. To do so, it’s turning to Pokémon Go.

http://time.com/4455485/thailand-bombings-pokemon-go/

Tchiowa

Did you notice that he also said that he is willing to be talked into continuing on as an unelected PM after the 2017 election?

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/poli...-on-as-premier

seanthepilot

"talked into" as in, he's already decided. This has done from dreadful to worse.

Tchiowa

I'm glad you said "worse" and not "worst" because there could still be room for things to get even worse.

LIH Prem

Saw a news article stating that the Visa on arrival fee was set to double on Sept 27, from 1,000 THB to 2,000 THB.

I read it in Asia Correspondent, but it was citing a story from Bangkok Post

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1066376/?

Pretty expensive increase for a 15 day visa for China, India and the other 17 countries that require the VOA.

-David

transpac

This is obviously aimed at generating more revenue from the ~ 8 million (annual: 2015) Chinese tourists. (India is ~ 1 million visitors in 2015, so a heft bump there.)

I read that the average spend per stay (~ 3 days) is 1,000 baht per head for toursits from mainland China. (This excludes airfare and hotels obviously, those are included in the package that mainland operators sell, which are often heavily promoted buy one, get two or three free {hotel/transpo/food}.)

So this is really the only way for Thailand to generate additional revenue on this segment.

The extra 1,000 baht fee will be buried in the package price, but Thailand will get at least 2,000 baht per head now, so that will help prop up the economy.

seanthepilot

I don't understand this comment. From Thai propaganda, maybe. But, do people really think that Thais see none of the money from these tours and that this tax will prop up the economy?

transpac

I've seen many articles with Thai tourist 'authorities' lamenting the fact that they make very little revenue on the mainland Chinese tourist package travelers. That's where I've seen the data on average stays (3 days/2 nights), and per visit per head spends of 1,000 baht. Are the various Thai tourism authorities deliberately minimizing these figures? Maybe.

Upping the VoA fee by 1,000 baht creates "additional" revenue - ~ 10 Billion Baht annually with little/no expense, pushes the burden back onto the tour operators in China, where they have to eat the fee increase/pass it on, and hopefully it will not negatively impact total numbers.

This is a simple, easy way to increase revenue. And while it may not prop up the economy (poor choice of words on my part) it certainly won't hurt given the economy is running on fumes.

The bulk of VoA visitors come from China and India.

I'm surprised Taiwan is on that list as Taiwan just granted Thai citizens visa-free travel as of 1 August 2016 (for a trial period of 1 year).